India to face Uzbekistan, Syria and Bangladesh in AFC U-20 Asian cup China 2027 qualifiers
Following the draw held at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday, the Indian U-20 men’s football team has been placed in Group B of the AFC U-20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers alongside Uzbekistan, Syria, and Bangladesh.Uzbekistan will host Group B matches in a centralized single round-robin format in its capital Tashkent between August 25 and September 6, 2026.
Under the new format for AFC youth competitions announced earlier this year, the AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualifiers will now follow a two-stage system featuring promotion and relegation mechanisms.
In the qualification stage, which includes India, 32 teams have been divided into eight groups of four teams each. The group winners and the seven best second-placed teams across all groups will qualify for the 43rd edition of the AFC U-20 Asian Cup.
Meanwhile, the six lowest-ranked fourth-placed teams from all groups will be relegated to the development stage for the next edition.For the development stage qualifiers, 12 teams will be divided into three groups of four teams each. The winners of the three groups and the three best second-placed teams will earn promotion back to the qualification stage for the following edition.India will face strong competition in Group B, especially from Uzbekistan and Syria, as the young squad aims to secure qualification for the continental tournament.
Under the new format for AFC youth competitions announced earlier this year, the AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualifiers will now follow a two-stage system featuring promotion and relegation mechanisms.
In the qualification stage, which includes India, 32 teams have been divided into eight groups of four teams each. The group winners and the seven best second-placed teams across all groups will qualify for the 43rd edition of the AFC U-20 Asian Cup.
Meanwhile, the six lowest-ranked fourth-placed teams from all groups will be relegated to the development stage for the next edition.For the development stage qualifiers, 12 teams will be divided into three groups of four teams each. The winners of the three groups and the three best second-placed teams will earn promotion back to the qualification stage for the following edition.India will face strong competition in Group B, especially from Uzbekistan and Syria, as the young squad aims to secure qualification for the continental tournament.
